John Leguizamo teaches ‘Latin History for Morons’ on Broadway: theater review

Dust and laughs fly in John Leguizamo's "Latin History for Morons." (Matthew Murphy)

"Latin History for Morons" is in session — and you shouldn't let the teacher's tweed jacket fool you into steeling yourself for a boring, by-the-book seminar.

That's because the teacher is John Leguizamo, and his fourth one-man work on Broadway bears his irreverent, entertaining stamp.

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While it whirls together autobiography, comedy and social commentary, the show is fast-paced, funny, foul-mouthed, insightful and, on the down side, occasionally cringe-worthy. That's how this self-proclaimed Mambo Mouth rolls.

As in shows like "Freak" and "Ghetto Klown," Leguizamo mines his life for material — and then embroiders. The concept here is that his bullied eighth-grade son is desperate to find a hero to write about. Because Hispanic culture is overlooked in text books and beyond, heroes are in short supply.

That sets the show, directed by Tony Taccone in near-nonstop motion. Leguizamo zips around the stage of Studio 54, where books are stacked and a two-sided blackboard stands ready for a workout.

John Leguizamo bends gender sometime to bring characters to life in "Latin History for Morons." (Matthew Murphy)

When the chalk dust settles 95 minutes later, Leguizamo has cannily surveyed the Aztecs, Mayans, Incas, plus the role of Hispanic soldiers the Revolutionary War — and a lot more.

Like a good, if nutty, professor, he draws lines to today. Observing chaos historical figures have wrought, he notes, "Columbus was the Donald Trump of the new world."

Amid the commentary Leguizamo slips in and out of Spanish, busts out dance moves and apes accents of friends, family and famous figures. Leguizamo is a terrific mimic. Still, doing voices of a deaf relative and scientist Stephen Hawking — instantly summoned Trump's imitation of a disabled reporter and turned out to be buzzkill.

Sure, Leguizamo has always had a subversive streak. And this show isn't out to be "To Senor, with Love" — even with its syrupy conclusion. But the same lines would work simply in his own voice — it's an easy edit.

Writer and star John Leguizamo assumes an array of postures and voices in his new one-man show on Broadway.

After all, since runs of "Morons" at Berkeley Rep in 2016 and earlier this year at the Public Theater, Leguizamo has added headline-inspired references to Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey.